“It’s a little weird,” Nathan said. “But she’s okay.”
Flannery poked her head up from the shelter of April’s hands and hissed at the wolves. The laughter rippled again.
“Flannery O’Connor, huh,” Aaron said. “Trust Mal to name her after a writer.”
April found some plain meat in the fridge but couldn’t get the kitten to eat. After a quick drink from a bowl of water, Flannery darted away to hide again. With a sigh April returned the meat to the fridge and resumed her seat next to Willow.
She soon learned that none of the pack had known about Malachi’s choosing Rhett. They had all assumed that, as beta, Aaron would succeed the alpha.
“I’m no alpha,” Aaron said. “And that’s no shade on myself. I just…man, I wouldnotwant it. I’m more of a sounding board than a leader. Mal and I agreed he’d choose someone else.”
“Did you know he’d chosen Rhett?” Ezra said.
“Yeah, we talked it over.”
A few murmurings traveled around the group.
Ezra was one of the wolves who’d grabbed a support pillow and sat on the floor. Knees up, a pensive crinkle in his forehead, he leaned toward Aaron. “Why didn’t Rhett know?”
“He…uh…well, there were circumstances. When he came to us. I don’t know the whole of it, and what I do know isn’t mine to tell. Basically Malachi said Rhett needed time to trust us, and we needed time to trust him. I know he was planning to talk to him soon. This…well, Mal didn’t foresee this, obviously.”
Ezra nodded, then sat back, arms across his knees. “Makes sense.”
“It does?” Trevor said.
“Sure. Rhett could lead a pack if he had to, if it were an emergency. He’s got a sharp brain, and he’s always thinking, and he’d fight for our pack any way he had to. This kind of helps me make sense of him, actually.”
“He’s a snarky loner who hates people,” Jeremy said.
Ezra rolled his eyes. “He doesn’t hate people. He’s just not an overly social wolf for whatever reason.”
“I’m with Jeremy. Feels to me like a bizarre choice,” Trevor said.
“Well, who wouldyoupick then, bro? You?”
Trevor choked on a bark of laughter. “Gosh, no. Spare me. And spare y’all.” Laughter trickled around the group. “I don’t know who I’d pick. I just…I don’t get why he picked Rhett.”
“Do you think Malachi made a mistake?” April said.
She wasn’t trying to challenge his closest friends. She only wanted to know. None of them sounded resentful of Malachi’s choice, only surprised and maybe…well, Trevor sounded a little doubtful.
“It’s not that,” Trevor said. “It’s just going to take a minute to settle in with the idea. And I’m curious to know his reasons.”
Jeremy shrugged. “At the end of the day I don’t need to get Mal’s reasons. And I don’t even have to like Rhett. I trust him, so it’s cool with me.”
“You trust Malachi? Or you trust Rhett?” April said.
“Huh.” He grinned. “Guess it’s both.”
April looked away as he unconsciously showed his teeth. She had to get past her overreactions to these wolves whom she knew were safe. But her body hadn’t yet gotten the memo.
“Sorry, April,” Jeremy said.
“No, I’m sorry. I…I’d like to be acclimated. I know it’s not fair or normal that you’re all continuing to shield for me after more than two weeks. I know it’s tiring for you.” She looked up and met their eyes, hating that she wasn’treallymeeting their eyes. “I was hoping to try at the next cookout, with at least one or two of you.”
The wolves rumbled their appreciation. Briefly Willow set her hand on April’s back, a show of support. Her place in the pack felt different this morning. No longer watching from the outside, eyes open for danger or violence within the group. Was it because she had claimed her place as mate of their alpha? Had she changed in their eyes, or in her own?
Nineteen
